Grain size and transport characteristics of non-uniform sand in aeolian saltation

Size frequency distributions of sediment particles in a wind tunnel containing a bed of non-uniform sand are investigated by re-interpreting existing experimental data using particle-size analysis. Each particle sample is classified into one of eight groups according to its size grading. The analysis reveals that the modal shape of the particle-size frequency distributions of the saltating sand at different elevations or longitudinal distances is similar to that of the mixed sand in the bed once the boundary layer is fully developed. The standard deviation of the grain-size frequency distribution increases with increasing elevation above the bed then stays constant, whereas its skewness decreases. The mean grain size decays exponentially with elevation. The aeolian sand mass flux is determined for each size grading at different vertical and horizontal measurement locations. The vertical profile of aeolian horizontal mass flux depends on the size grading. The distribution of the sand transport rate according to the mean grain size in each grading fits the normal distribution. A parameter w_i is defined to reflect the likelihood of saltation for sand particles of the i-th size grading, and the mean sand size corresponding to the maximum value of w_i is found to be 0.2 mm. In addition, wind velocity strongly influences the magnitudes of the particle-size distribution and the sand mass flux distribution in both vertical and longitudinal directions.     

Geochemical reconstruction of late Holocene drainage and mixing in Kluane Lake,Yukon Territory

The level of Kluane Lake in southwest Yukon Territory, Canada, has fluctuated tens of metres during the late Holocene. Contributions of sediment from different watersheds in the basin over the past 5,000 years were inferred from the elemental geochemistry of Kluane Lake sediment cores. Elements associated with organic material and oxyhydroxides were used to reconstruct redox fluctuations in the hypolimnion of the lake. The data reveal complex relationships between climate and river discharge during the late Holocene. A period of influx of Duke River sediment coincides with a relatively warm climate around 1,300 years BP. Discharge of Slims River into Kluane Lake occurred when Kaskawulsh Glacier advanced to the present drainage divide separating flow to the Pacific Ocean via Kaskawulsh and Alsek rivers from flow to Bering Sea via tributaries of Yukon River. During periods when neither Duke nor Slims river discharged into Kluane Lake, the level of the lake was low and stable thermal stratification developed, with anoxic and eventually euxinic conditions in the hypolimnion.     

气候变暖背景下祁连山区秋季层状云变化特征

利用祁连山区及周边29 个气象观测站近41 年秋季云形状和气温观测资料, 分析了祁连山区秋季层状云出现频率的空间分布与时间变化特征, 探讨了秋季层状云出现频率与气候变暖的关系, 并选用同期NCEP/NCAR全球再分析资料, 对祁连山区秋季层状云的环流特征和水汽输送进行了分析。结果表明:①祁连山区秋季层状云出现频率为8%～26%, 呈西少东多的空间分布。②近41 年来, 祁连山区秋季增温1.2℃, 气温变化的倾向率为0.29℃/10a, 80 年代中期以后发生了增温的突变。③祁连山区秋季层状云的出现频率呈明显的减少趋势, 近41 年来减少约11%, 倾向率为-2.7%/10a, 尤其在20 世纪80 年代中期以后与同期祁连山区显著增温相对应, 层状云出现频率减少更为明显, 层状云出现频率与气温呈明显的反相变化趋势。④在气候变暖的背景下, 祁连山区的层状云出现频率减少, 减少的幅度从西北向东南递增。当祁连山区秋季平均气温在升高1℃ 时, 祁连山区层状云出现频率减少2%～10%, 祁连山西段、中段减少2%～4%, 祁连山东段减少4%～10%。⑤祁连山区秋季层状云偏多与偏少年在欧亚500 hPa 环流场上存在明显的差异, 层状云偏多年, 极涡向亚洲北部伸展, 东亚大槽较偏弱, 乌拉尔山高压脊偏强, 脊前偏北气流引导极地冷空气沿偏西北路径向中国西北地区输送, 中亚地区到高原上不断有低值系统发展东移, 同时南支槽加强, 来自阿拉伯海、南海、东海的暖湿气流向内陆地区的输送明显加强, 与进入高原北部的冷空气交绥, 从而使祁连山区层状云出现频次增多;层状云偏少年, 中亚-中国西北地区暖性高压异常加强, 东亚大槽偏强, 冷空气活动路径偏东, 亚洲大陆至西太平洋冬季风特征明显, 偏北风加强, 不利于东南暖湿气流向西北内陆地区的输送, 冷暖气流在祁连山区交绥次数减少, 从而使祁连山区层状云出现频次减少。⑥印度洋沿孟加拉湾的向北的水汽输送, 副热带西太平洋的偏东气流在南海和中南半岛附近转为向北的水汽输送, 地中海、里海的西风带纬向水汽输送是3支影响祁连山区秋季层状云多寡的水汽输送通道, 进而对祁连山区秋季降水产生影响。     

冻结盐渍砂土单轴强度特性研究

通过对兰州盐渍砂土重塑土添加不同量的盐分来模拟不同含盐量的盐渍土, 并对其进行单轴抗压试验, 分析其在不同含盐量、不同温度及不同速率的应变加载情况下, 冻结盐渍砂土的单轴抗压强度的变化规律, 重点讨论了盐分对土体力学参数的影响以及弹性模量与含盐量、温度的关系. 结果表明: 易溶盐含量的增加会导致单轴抗压强度逐渐降低, 试验温度越低抗压强度会越大; 应变加载速率的增加会增大土体的单轴抗压强度, 同时会缩短土体达到应力峰值的时间; 土体含盐量越大弹性模量越小, 温度越低弹性模量越大.     

离心力场中微型土压力传感器非线性响应分析

为掌握离心力场环境下微型土压力传感器与土介质相互作用引起的匹配误差特性,结合匹配误差理论,通过液体标定试验和离心力场中土介质标定试验,讨论了微型土压力传感器在模量相对较大土介质中的非线性响应特征及其主要影响因素。试验分析表明：在液压条件下微型土压力传感器具有良好的线性响应特性;在离心力场环境中微型土压力传感器表现出的显著非线性响应特性是由加载过程中土介质模量的改变引起;基于建立的匹配误差随土介质模量变化的关系曲线对测试数据进行非线性修正,可明显提高微型土压力传感器在模量相对较大土介质中的测试精度。     

动剪切模量比对反应谱影响的定量分析

动剪切模量比的不确定性会对场地地震反应计算的结果产生较大的影响,而目前对这种影响的研究多限于定性分析,笔者利用渤海海域典型场地对这一影响进行定量分析。首先,建立了土层地震反应计算模型;然后,在不改变影响土层地震反应计算结果其他参量的前提下,赋予了原动剪切模量比一系列偏差并求得了场地反应谱的变化;最后,得到了反应谱对动剪切模量比的敏感度。结果表明:1)在动剪切模量比曲线增大(或减小)后,在基准反应谱的特征周期附近,存在一个反应谱相对于基准反应谱由增大转变为减小(或由减小转变为增大)的转变点。2)在概率水准2和3下:反应谱平台段对动剪切模量比的敏感度最高,其值基本上分布在1.0~3.0;反应谱下降段的敏感度绝对值随着周期的增大先迅速增大后逐渐趋于0,最大值达1.0以上;反应谱上升段的敏感度分布平稳,其值多分布在1.0~2.0。     

A sediment fluxes investigation for the 2-D modelling of large river morphodynamics

A complete understanding of alluvial-bed dynamics is desirable for evaluating a variety of issues related to water resources.Sediment fluxes were investigated in a bifurcation of the large Parana River near Rosario, Argentina. The backscatter estimations from the Doppler profilers provided the suspended load of the sediment forming the riverbed. An echo-sounder was applied to track the dunes yielding the bed-load estimation.Aiming to show the usefulness of the recorded data, a 2-D numerical code was applied to the 10-km long and 2-km wide Rosario reach. The morphodynamic module was un-coupled from the hydrodynamics assessment, which enabled the long-term prediction of the river morphology accounting for the hydrological yearly variation with a quasi-steady approach.Numerical experiments were performed to test the sensitivity of the hydrodynamic model to the computational time-step and mesh size, to test the un-coupling scheme performance regarding the full-dynamic modelling, to test the accuracy of the sediment transport formulae based on the field evidence and, finally, to provide guidance to properly fix the model parameters.     

Transition from storm wave‐dominated outer shelf to gullied upper slope: The mid‐Pliocene Orinoco shelf margin,South Trinidad

Shelf‐edge deltas are a key depositional environment for accreting sediment onto shelf‐margin clinoforms. The Moruga Formation, part of the palaeo‐Orinoco shelf‐margin sedimentary prism of south‐east Trinidad, provides new insight into the incremental growth of a Pliocene, storm wave‐dominated shelf margin. Relatively little is known about the mechanisms of sand bypass from the shelf‐break area of margins, and in particular from storm wave‐dominated margins which are generally characterized by drifting of sand along strike until meeting a canyon or channel. The studied St. Hilaire Siltstone and Trinity Hill Sandstone succession is 260 m thick and demonstrates a continuous transition from gullied (with turbidites) uppermost slope upward to storm wave‐dominated delta front on the outermost shelf. The basal upper‐slope deposits are dominantly mass‐transport deposited blocks, as well as associated turbidites and debrites with common soft‐sediment‐deformed strata. The overlying uppermost slope succession exhibits a spectacular set of gullies, which are separated by abundant slump‐scar unconformities (tops of rotational slides), then filled with debris‐flow conglomerates and sandy turbidite beds with interbedded mudstones. The top of the study succession, on the outer‐shelf area, contains repeated upward‐coarsening, sandstone‐rich parasequences (2 to 15 m thick) with abundant hummocky and swaley cross‐stratification, clear evidence of storm‐swell and storm wave‐dominated conditions. The observations suggest reconstruction of the unstable shelf margin as follows: (i) the aggradational storm wave‐dominated, shelf‐edge delta front became unstable and collapsed down the slope; (ii) the excavated scars of the shelf margin became gullied, but gradually healed (aggraded) by repeated infilling by debris flows and turbidites, and then new gullying and further infilling; and (iii) a renewed storm wave‐dominated delta‐front prograded out across the healed outer shelf, re‐establishing the newly stabilized shelf margin. The Moruga Formation study, along with only a few others in the literature, confirms the sediment bypass ability of storm wave‐dominated reaches of shelf edges, despite river‐dominated deltas being, by far, the most efficient shelf‐edge regime for sediment bypass at the shelf break.     

Guidelines for sampling bedload transport with minimum uncertainty

The stability of river channels and their suitability as habitat for aqueous organisms is strongly controlled by the rate of bedload transport. Quantification of bedload transport rates in rivers is difficult, not only because of the temporal variation in transport, but also because of the cross‐channel variation in transport. The objectives of this study were: (i) to determine the effect of cross‐channel variation in bedload transport on the uncertainty of width‐integrated transport rates; and to use this knowledge (ii) to improve guidelines for bedload sampling. This was done through a thorough statistical evaluation of stochastic and systematic uncertainties involved in bed‐load transport measurements. Based on this evaluation, new guidelines are presented for determination of the number of samples and sampling positions across the channel that are required for bedload measurements in several types of sand‐bed rivers and gravel‐bed rivers. The guidelines relate to bedload measurements made with pressure‐difference (Helley‐Smith type) samplers that require numerous bedload samples of short duration at several positions across the channel. The results show that generally more sampling positions across the channel are required in gravel‐bed rivers than in sand‐bed rivers. For gravel‐bed rivers with unknown cross‐channel distribution of transport, at least 10 sampling positions are recommended, whereas for most sand‐bed rivers five positions suffice. In addition, at least 12 short‐duration samples are required at each position to obtain bedload estimates with uncertainties below 20%. If the same level of uncertainty is desired in the case of high spatial and temporal variation in transport rates, the number of short‐duration samples needed per sampling position increases to 40.